Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG-VII’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘PIILAG-VII’, characterized by its compact, upright, intermediate growth habit, reddish new growth, and lustrous dark green foliage in summer, red flowers where the petals cover the stamens, superior resistance to powdery mildew and  Cercospora  leaf spot, and increased cold hardiness.

Genus and species of plant claimed: Lagerstroemia sp. hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘PIILAG-VII’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L.‘PIILAG-III’×L. indica ‘Whit IV’, commonly known as crapemyrtle, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PIILAG-VII’. ‘PIILAG-VII’is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use.

‘PIILAG-VII’ originated from controlled pollinations seed ofLagerstroemia L. ‘PIILAG-III’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,178)×L. indica‘WHIT IV’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,342) growing in Watkinsville, Ga. Thecultivar ‘PIILAG-VII’ originated in 2010 and was selected in acultivated environment in Watkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of thiscross-pollination by continued evaluation for growth habit, foliage,flower, and disease resistance characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of ‘PIILAG-VII’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville,Ga. since 2011 has shown that all the unique features of this newLagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproducedtrue-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIILAG-VII’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withchanges in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘PIILAG-VII’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘PIILAG-VII’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1.Compact and tight, dense, intermediate growth habit; 2. Red new growth;3. Lustrous dark green foliage in summer; 4. Red flowers where stamensare covered by petals; 5. Superior resistance to powdery mildew andCercospora leaf spot.

Plants of ‘PIILAG-VII’ differ from plants of the female parent‘PIILAG-III’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,178) primarily in the color of newgrowth, the summer foliage, and the flowers. Plants of ‘PIILAG-III’ havered-purple new growth, dark green foliage in the summer, and red flowersthat show their stamens, whereas plants of ‘PIILAG-VII’ have red newgrowth, lustrous dark green foliage, and the flowers cover the stamens.

Plants of ‘PIILAG-VII’ differ from plants of the parent, L. indica ‘WhitIV’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,342), primarily in habit, foliage color,flower color, and disease resistance. Plants of L. indica ‘Whit IV’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,342) have red-purple new growth, lighter greenfoliage color, red flowers, the stamens are visible, and poor resistanceto Cercospora leaf spot, whereas plants of ‘PIILAG-VII’ have overalldarker green foliage with red new growth, darker red flowers, andsuperior resistance to Cercospora leaf spot.

Plants of ‘PIILAG-VII’ can be compared to the cultivar ‘Whit II’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 10,296), but differ in growth habit, foliage color,flower appearance, overall size, and disease resistance. Plants of‘PIILAG-VII’ have a compact and tight, upright, intermediate growthhabit, new growth emerges red, the stamens on the flower are covered bythe petals, and it has superior disease resistance to mildew andCercospora leaf spot, whereas plants of ‘Whit II’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.10,296) have an overall larger, spreading growth habit, the leavesemerge crimson, the stamens are visible in the flowers, and it is highlysusceptible to mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. Plants of ‘PIILAG-VII’are more cold hardy than plants of ‘Whit II’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.10,296).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliagecharacteristics and the overall appearance of ‘PIILAG-VII’, showing thecolors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colorreproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the newLagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of an establishedthree-year-old plant of ‘PIILAG-VII’ planted in the ground.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the flower of a three-year-old‘PIILAG-VII’ plant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thedescription were approximately two-years-old and were grown in 11.8 Lcontainers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors aredescribed using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘PIILAG-VII’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lagerstroemia ‘PIILAG-III’ (U.S.            Plant Pat. No. 23,178).        -   Male, or pollen Parent.—Lagerstroemia indica ‘WHIT IV’ (U.S.            Plant Pat. No. 11,342) (controlled-pollinated).-   Propagation: Terminal cuttings.    -   -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 21 days at 32° C.-   Plant description:    -   -   Flowering shrub.—Compact, upright, intermediate growth            habit. Freely branching; lateral branches abundant without            pruning, resulting in fine-textured, dense habit.        -   Root description.—Numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.        -   Plant size.—The original plant, now about four-years-old in            the ground, is about 183 cm high from the soil level to the            top of the inflorescences and about 94 cm wide. First year            stems have a diameter of about 2.5 mm. First year stems have            a length of 30 cm to 46 cm. Shape: squarish. Second year and            older stems have a diameter of about 5 mm or more. Second            year stems have a length of 61 cm to 91 cm. Shape: round.        -   Trunk diameter.—3 cm at the soil line. Color: N199D.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Strength.—Flexible when young, easily broken once mature.        -   First year stem color (young).—53A. Color (woody): 200D.        -   Second year and older stem color.—N199D.        -   Bark.—Minor exfoliation in strips beginning on second or            third year stems.        -   Exfoliation color.—199B. Exfoliation approximately 7 cm in            length and 1 cm in width.-   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,    imbricate, conical, with no pubescence.    -   -   Color.—53A.        -   Size.—About 2.5 mm in length and 1 mm in width.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Sub-opposite to alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 4 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical to ovate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture (upper and lower surfaces).—Glabrous and glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color of emerging foliage (upper and lower            surfaces).—53A.        -   Venation color of fully expanded foliage (upper and lower            surfaces).—53C.        -   Color in developing foliage (upper and lower surfaces).—53A.        -   Color in fully expanded foliage (upper surface).—139A.        -   Color in fully expanded foliage (lower surface).—146A.        -   Petiole length.—About 2 mm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 1 mm.        -   Petiole color (upper and lower surfaces).—53A.        -   Pubescence.—None.        -   Fall color.—Can be 180B, 23B or any combination of these            colors. The leaves in the fall are anywhere from            yellow-orange to a grey-red.-   Flower description: Flowers are produced from about June to    September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about    two weeks, and individual flowers last about one day and are    self-cleaning. Flowers are lightly fragrant.    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Panicle. Panicle contains between 30-50            flower buds and flowers. Inflorescence length: about            11.5 cm. Inflorescence width: about 10 cm.        -   Peduncle.—About 8.6 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter,            color is 53A, and no pubescence.        -   Individual flowers.—About 2 cm in height and 3 cm in            diameter.        -   Flower buds.—Length: about 1 cm; Diameter: about 1 cm;            Color: 46B. Unopened flower buds are globose with six            distinct lines of dehiscence where they split to reveal the            petals.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/quantity: single whorl of six basal            fused sepals separated at the apex. Length about 9 mm.            Width: about 4 mm. Shape: elliptical. Apex: acute. Margin:            entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: smooth, glabrous.            Color when opening, upper surface: 179A. When opening lower            surface: 179B. Fully opened, upper surface: 179A. Fully            opened, lower surface: 179B.        -   Pedicels.—About 8 mm in length, 1 mm in diameter, 179B in            color, and no pubescence.        -   Calyx.—About 8 mm in length, about 1 cm in diameter, 179B in            color on both surfaces, and no pubescence.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—Usually 6 or 7 per flower.        -   Petal length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Petal width.—About 1.3 cm.        -   Petal shape.—Fan-shaped, fan-shape covers the stamens. Petal            apex: ruffled, rounded. Petal base: sagittate. Petal margin:            undulate. Petal texture (upper and lower surfaces):            glabrous.        -   Petal color.—Upper and lower surfaces are 46A.-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—About 25 to 30 short stamens clustered            in the center, about 1.5 cm long, filament color is 35C, and            anther color is 7A. The short stamens are surrounded by 6            longer stamens, about 2 cm long, filament color is 35C, and            anther color is 7A. The stamens are not pubescent. Pollen:            produced in moderate quantities and is 7A in color on the            short and long stamens.-   Pistils:    -   -   Quantity.—One superior pistil per flower.        -   Pubescence.—None.        -   Pistil length.—About 1.9 cm in length.        -   Stigma shape.—Round, about 1 mm in diameter.        -   Stigma color.—N172A.        -   Style color.—46A and about 1.5 cm in length.        -   Ovary color.—2B and about 2.5 mm in diameter.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type/appearance.—Six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal            capsule.        -   Length.—About 8 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 8 mm.        -   Immature color.—144B.        -   Mature color.—200C. Each capsule contains about 30 seeds            that are about 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, and 200C in color.-   Plant hardiness:    -   -   Plant hardiness.—USDA Hardiness Zone Map (2012): Zone 6 to            9.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety    grown in field and container trials have exhibited superior    resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG-VII’,as illustrated and described herein.